The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-15
NUMBER 81.
The Proposed New County what Its Pro-
ectors Have to Say.
Correspondence Palatka NEws.

/ nave to
Correspondence Paiatka NEws.
MELRosE, FLA. April II, 1897.
| Will you allow me to state few facts
IL regard to the movement for the for
nation of new county, which will EN-
brace what il now known as West Put
nam; And in the outset wish to thank
Won for the kind manner of reference
thereto by yourselves charitably consent
ing for us to think and to do for our
selves ~ seems best for us. THE PA
LATKA NEWS has thus, as "a correspond
ent Of the Herdid wished some one would
do, poured oil ON MS" The prophet at
tached Ia the Aidchud advocate, who
predicted that Old Alachua would sur
render none of her territory for many
years Ia come, must have been looking
at State map, forgetting how large Old
Alachua really is. We are not preparing
to celebrate failure just now. but should
the present movement prove such, there
will be Others all of which will not be
failures.
In your weekly issue of the sth inst.
your McMeekin correspondent states that
in your issue Of the LIST. the public Is
informed that AN effort will be made to
form new county 10y cutting from four
contiguous counties, 80 that Melrose
now partly in those counties, may have
"A county of her own
II such statements have gone 10 tho
public neither the citizens Of Melrose nor
those interested i'm the formation OF the
new county own or assume RESPONSE
blity for them. Melrose is a progressive
little place. but she does not aspire IA
have county of her own, and efforts of
this kind to belittle the object may
suffice to raise "A laugh among the
thoughtless. but will not weigh with
solid argument Economy is urged as "A
reason for retaining the old organiza-
tions, which same thought was most
prominently in the minds of those
who propose Ia draw new lines. II
the taxes paid in Putnam county
support the government. of Putnam, and
the taxes paid lin Alachua, Clay and
Bradford support each Of those coun-
ties, what would prevent the taxes paid
within the new lines faom supporting its
government Are not the officers of the
counties supported mainly by fees
Why should not the taxes and fees CON
tributed by the people of this section be
expended among themselves or officers
of their own selection-why nott We
fail 10 see what public interest we would
lose, or what benefit we would be throw
ing away in "A new organization as pro-
posed, but we do see that We would have
our own taxes for our own uses, and an
experience. equal to those who remain In
the old. built upon observations for tho
past twenty odd years.
When Palatka gets her $1,000 hall for
the Professor, in which 10 deliver his
lectures. and the county gets the new
Court House which will take the "shine'
ont of Gainesville, il may be very neces-
sary to call for West Putnam, but wa
trust. ere then, West Putnam will not
DE there 10 respond.
None of the citizens Of this vicinity aro
reported wealthy-none have large farms
or large groves. and there would be- none
here Ia vote for expensive buildings;
each would work for their individual in
terest in making all expenses as light as
possible.
A new county can begin To operate
with much less expense than is general
ly supposed by those who favor IL. and for
"A thousand per cent. less than In reported
by those who oppose IL, II the Court
House at Palatka was sold May I, what
would il bringy How many dollars and
how many cents would IL take 10 build
"A better Court House than II owned by
the county Of Clay? Come to the figsres
and give us the constitutional privilege
of saying where we prefer to live, and
all We ask is FAIR PLAY.